The blog of Windows Wally, a Windows Support Technician helping common people solve frustrating computer problems.

Should I Disable Automatic Updates On My Computer?

Reader Question:“Hi Wally, I’m really tired of all these software updates. Is this really necessary? Is it safe to disable automatic updates or should I keep updating ever time something asks me to update it?“ - Christopher D., USA

Before addressing any computer issue, I always recommend scanning and repairing any underlying problems affecting your PC health and performance:

Setting up weekly (or daily) automatic scans will help prevent system problems and keep your PC running fast and trouble-free.

Wally’s Answer: I know what you mean. We’ve all been there and It happens when you least expect it. You turn your computer on and boom, “A new update for Adobe flash is available”. You try to use iTunes and boom, it won’t work unless you update it. Java, internet browsers, media players, and basically every software you use starts to give you notifications about new updates. Its pretty annoying.

Why Does Software Update Itself So Much?

There are a few reasons why so many software programs update so much. In most cases the number one reason is consistency. They want to make sure that their software is at the same version in all computers. This simplifies many problems for them and helps give the user the best overall experience made possible by the developers of the software.

Another reason is reliability. Developers maintain their software by releasing fixes and making it work better with new hardware. These automatic updates help eliminate problems for many users.

Yet another good reason is security. Many programs such as web browsers connect to the internet. Since the internet is ever evolving, so are security threats ever changing. Browser updates are done in response to new security threats online. Automatic updates can help keep you safe from these threats.

Automatic updates can also help increase the program’s speed by making it lighter and more resource efficient.

When Things Go Wrong With Automatic Updates

One thing that can happen with automatic updates is that a bad update can make a usable program unusable. This is pretty annoying but usually software developers rush to stop and reverse such problems as soon as possible.

Automatic Updates On Microsoft Windows

Even though automatic updates go much smoother now, Microsoft used to be a bit notorious with the Windows operating system. There were times when they released automatic updates that caused problems with some Windows computers. Some people started to disable Windows XP updates, but times have changed now.

If you don’t like automatic updates then you should choose to disable them on all but the most important software programs. You can also tell software programs to ask you before downloading any new updates.

Is Your PC Healthy?

I always recommend to my readers to regularly use a trusted registry cleaner and optimizer such as WinThruster or CCleaner. Many problems that you encounter can be attributed to a corrupt and bloated registry.

Happy Computing!

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About the Author

Wally PhillipsWindows Wally is a helpful guy. It’s just in his nature. It’s why he started a blog in the first place. He heard over and over how hard it was to find simple, plain-English solutions to Windows troubleshooting problems on the Internet. Enter: Windows Wally. Ask away, and he will answer.

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